Chapter 9

I was very grateful that I had chosen a bedroom with an attached shower. The room seal had worn off a few hours after the crystal had fed on all the pain it had been offered.

Asher's pain when talking about my death had capped it off rather quickly. But it also concerned me because it had taken a lot of pain to satisfy the object.

And we have to do this every twenty-four hours?

I chewed my lip with worry as I towel-dried my hair. The very human task of dealing with wet hair and not being able to instantly style it was something I actually appreciated, for the moment.

Male voices hummed on the other side of the door. They seemed to be quietly arguing, but I didn't hear anything breaking or bodies being tossed against a wall. So, all in all, things were going well.

A new addition to the mate-circle could have complications. There were already waves from when I'd added the twins, and it was definitely a surprise to now add an incubus.

Who was apparently becoming something else entirely.

The whole rule system around the three male muses who reigned at one time was broken and I didn't know what Asher was turning into. Maybe something like a god to help me through my awakening. That wouldn't surprise me.

Since I had met Asher in my first life, I didn't think Orion was intended for that role. He was meant for something else. He'd slowly introduced me to my divinity over time, priming me for Asher's arrival. If it hadn't been for Orion, I would have been completely overwhelmed.

But all of this felt… right.

"Fuck," a male voice said on the other side of my bathroom door.

I paused towel-drying my hair to listen as I cocked my head. After a few moments and a whooping sound from Logan, I overheard enough to realize they had been drawing straws of who got to do the "aftercare."

A fresh blush heated my face and I stared at myself in the mirror.

It was strange to see myself as a human. My blonde hair was a little frizzier than usual and wafted with soft waves after the shower. My lips were swollen from so many kisses, but not as plump or red as I remembered that my succubus powers were now missing. My eye color had changed a lot as I had gone through various states, but at the moment they were a soft turquoise that seemed to transition from blue to sea green.

Is this what I would have looked like, given a normal life?

The form I had taken with illusion magic was different from the face I currently wore. In this body, I was still me.

Just, different. But it wasn't really in a bad way.

I pulled on my robe, which slid over my shoulder blades. The sensation unnerved me. I'd had wings for so long that I'd forgotten what it felt like to have cloth touching my back.

I jumped when a knock sounded on the door, even though it had been gentle.

"Time to come out, pup,"Logan said against the door, making me smile.

Nothing had changed between us. My wolf sounded content, even, and his eyes confirmed it when I opened the door.

My silky robe did little to obscure my body, but I had nothing to hide from my Virtues. Not after tonight.

We were all in this together.

Peering around his shoulder, I found everyone squeezed into the bedroom.

Cole's tail flicked over the carpet, leaving a wavy pattern along the tufts. His disapproving gaze had settled on Asher, who sat in one of the chairs. The incubus lounged in an expensive pair of pajama pants that matched my robe. Dante had changed, too, but he wore sweatpants that were just as revealing as what I wore.

My face flushed all over again as my gaze dragged over the strong outline of his physique. I was glad Asher's pants hid certain pierced body parts better, or my other Virtues might have been more riled up.

Hendrik was against the wall, talking to Dante. He looked just as displeased as Cole, but he'd been inside Dante's head, so at least he'd had some time to process whatever he was feeling. His gaze bounced between the incubus and the crystal now propped inside a vase on the dresser. It was quiet, for the time being.

Logan pressed a kiss to my cheek as Kaito threaded his fingers through mine. My softer mates were much better suited to whatever "aftercare" entailed. As much as I wanted to catch up with Cole and Kaito, I figured that Kaito had probably rigged their little game of "chance."

"Dante explained everything," Logan said against my ear before nipping the sensitive flesh.

Kaito tugged me out of the room, forcing my legs to move. Logan followed me, staying close enough to brush his fingers against mine.

"He explained enough, but it's going to take time for the others to accept Asher," Kaito added.

They took me a few rooms down, bringing me into a larger bedroom than the one I had chosen. This one had a bar with a mini fridge and an espresso machine I was definitely going to make use of in the morning.

Logan closed the door behind us while Kaito turned on some lamps to their softest settings. He could see in the dark just fine, but my eyes struggled to adjust. I found myself squinting, as if that would make it better.

Ignoring the bed, I moved to the window and looked over a glittering lake with massive buildings spread out between us and the edge of the water, like iron trees decorating the forest of civilization.

It was so different from what I was used to, but if I stayed on Earth, would a place like this become home?

Maybe not an expensive penthouse like this one, but a place filled with humans, coffeehouses, and modern amenities. That sounded kind of nice.

Except most humans are already gone.

The world was going to look different, even if and when I defeated this Echo of Calamity, and that thought weighed heavier on my shoulders than my wings ever had.

Warmth enveloped me as Logan wrapped his arms around my middle, taking full advantage of my wingless state by pressing my back against his chest.

"I'm enjoying you being human," he said against my ear, then buried his nose in my neck. "I can better scent you." He must have grabbed some snacks, because he produced a muffin and held it to my mouth until I nibbled it.

Kaito joined us at the window, but he looked pensively over the city as a frown creased his face. "You mean you can scent Dante and Asher on her," my mentor said, turning to give me a wink.

Logan chuckled and the sound vibrated through my back as he squeezed me tighter. His arm bunched under my breasts, making them swell. With his other hand, he kept feeding me the muffin. "They're part of the pack, so I like how they smell on her."

"Part of the pack?" I asked after I'd swallowed my bite.

"Logan's wolf has accepted them," Kaito said matter-of-factly. He waited until I finished the muffin, then took the paper to discard and came back with a bottle of sparkling water. He held it to my lips until I sipped. "It's a good sign. It means we're close to achieving a true unit when we're all together."

When I had finished the water, I leaned into Logan's body as he began licking at my pulse. My skin still felt raw where Dante had closed his fingers around my throat, even if I had liked it.

Logan's wolf was trying to make that soreness feel better.

"Does that mean you've been thinking about ways to save Orion and the twins?" I hedged. Even if we'd momentarily found a reprieve, there was work to do.

And I did not want to have to keep feeding Seth's damn crystal for very long. Only the gods knew what he was doing with its power.

Kaito nodded, the low light glinting off the silver tattoo that ran up his left cheek. The soft blue flames that perpetually licked around his horns only added a more mysterious air about him. I felt so powerless next to him now, but not afraid. He was my protector.

"I already started talking with the others about it while…" He cleared his throat, letting his words drift off.

While you were being double-penetrated by a possessive Hunter and an incubus who is in love with you.

"Hendrik is going to work on a new portal," Logan informed me as he took a step backward, taking me with him. "He thinks it'll take two weeks, so that means it'll take one."

Kaito hummed in agreement as he followed us, and Logan led me to the bed.

First he directed me to the bathroom to let me brush my teeth and take care of "human" things. When I returned, he had pulled back the sheets. He wiggled his finger at me until I stood between his legs, then he tugged off my robe.

I wasn't wearing anything underneath, but Logan seemed to appreciate that as his gaze raked shamelessly over my body.

But he frowned, and I realized it was because I had injuries.

He pushed me to the edge of the bed and knocked my knees open. He leaned in, his breath on my stomach, as he took his time finding every bruise and scrape and giving it his full attention with his tongue. Both the Hunter and the incubus had been rough with me, and it was easy to forget that I was fragile now.

He licked a small cut on my rib cage, one I had no idea how it had gotten there, dipped his tongue in my belly button, and then kissed a bruise on my hip bone.

Kaito peeled off his clothes while he watched Logan work. He didn't interrupt, didn't rush him, either. Instead, he kept talking as if nothing significant was happening.

"Turn around," Logan instructed, and I found myself immediately obeying. He leaned me over the bed, then he released a soft growl at my prone position. "Those assholes were too rough with you. I'm going to kill them."

I winced when his tongue found new wounds on the inside of my thigh, and gasped when his mouth went to more sensitive places.

"Loga—" I began, but Kaito cut me off with a click of his tongue. He eased onto the bed and curled his arms behind his head, relaxing as he watched me in the dim light.

Heat rushed over my face because I knew he could see every change in my expression, especially when Logan's tongue pushed inside.

"Let his wolf tend to your injuries," Kaito said, but there was a wicked gleam in his eye. "And if you come from it, then that's okay. Let it happen. You've been through a lot, koneko-chan."

I cursed under my breath as Logan lapped harder, seeking my clit with his soft licks. Everything he did felt amazing and didn't irritate my skin at all.

It felt… nice.

"You're both assholes," I hissed out when Logan continued to massage me with his tongue, not letting up on the pressure until a new wave of pleasure curled in my core.

Kaito only grinned as his unique eyes glinted with delight. He was a demon through and through. Even learning his history hadn't changed what I knew him to be now.

His eyes held a red glow and the silver band around them seemed to enlarge as he watched me curl my fingers into the bedsheets.

I was basically fighting for my life. If I came one more time, I felt like I was going to pass out.

Maybe that was Logan and Kaito's goal. They knew I desperately needed rest and the only way I was going to fall asleep was if something forced me to.

Like more orgasms than my human body could handle.

Now that I understood what to look for, I knew Asher's influence had dimmed. His incubus was sated, for the moment. He'd feasted on Dante's arousal, and mine, but both of them had left me battered and drained.

I didn't have two realms drawing on me anymore, but somehow that made me even more tired. I didn't have the pressure to rebuild my reserves.

And I needed to do it the old-fashioned way. Through rest and nourishment.

There was something revitalizing about the way my Virtues took care of me. I found myself nearly limp with pleasure when Kaito dragged me over on top of him, twisting me onto my back. He gently massaged one of my breasts while Logan kissed me between my thighs.

The orgasm washed over me like a lazy wave, forcing me to relax as Logan lapped at the moisture that gushed out of me.

When I could breathe again, Kaito had me drink another bottle of water, then they put me on my back.

This time my mentor kissed my sensitive clit, gently tasting it and dipping his tongue inside of me to massage my insides.

I wanted them to fuck me, but I knew they wouldn't. This was how they wanted to take care of me. Logan kissed me, allowing me to taste myself, as Kaito took his time bringing me to another orgasm that was just as gentle as my first.

They continued taking turns, pleasuring me until my body finally couldn't take it anymore, and I fell into a blissful, dreamless darkness where my only job was to breathe.